1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to trucks or trailers having a maneuverable side member or wing which may be raised up and over the truck or trailer usually by hydraulic means, for permitting loading and unloading from the side thereof, and relates more particularly to a support arrangement for such a maneuverable side member or wing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to permit transportation of piece goods in trucks and trailers, and especially perishable piece goods such as paper bales and corrodible goods, it is necessary that a proper covering of the truck or trailer be provided in order to make it possible to transport such goods without the risk of them being damaged by rain, snow, wind or road dirt. For this purpose there has previously been used different kinds of superstructures over the load platform of the truck or tarpaulins which have been stretched across the load platform by means of sticks. These solutions have suffered from serious disadvantages since they have either been very expensive and/or have made the loading and unloading more difficult while simultaneously restricting the range of application for the truck.
A structure which has been improved in the above sense is illustrated in the Swedish patent specification No. 402 740, according to which the side member by the load platform is raised upwardly and over the platform at the same time as a tarpaulin which fully or partly covers the upper part of the platform is brought aside. With this structure the whole side between the actual load platform and the upper portion of the truck or trailer is exposed to facilitate the loading and unloading from the side by means of fork lifts or the like. A portion of the platform "roof" is also exposed. The result of this is that it is also possible to load or unload the truck or trailer by means of a crane. Moreover said solution also guarantees that the frame of a fork lift or the like used during loading and unloading cannot strike against any part of said "roof" and be damaged. However, one problem encountered in connection with trucks or trailers of the last mentioned kind, where a greater or lesser portion of the platform "roof" is exposed when the side member is raised, is that the side member or wing will be exposed to excessive load since the side member will bend down towards its middle. This is especially true regarding longer trucks or trailers, some of which have lengths of up to 24 meters. For that reason it has been necessary to provide some kind of support for the side member or wing. In such trucks or trailers these supports have up to now generally been formed by a partition wall against which the side member is supported in its raised position, but this solution is particularly unsuitable since such a partition wall restricts the length of the goods that may be transported to less than half the length of the truck or trailer.